15 Colombia policemen arrested in internal corruption offensive

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At least 15 police officers have been detained on suspicion of corruption, the director of Colombia’s National Police told press on Tuesday.

According to the director of Colombia’s National Police, the institution has kicked off new operations for investigating police suspected of corruption and making them accountable.

The opening days of the operations have already resulted in the detention of 15 officers.

“Since becoming Director General one of my priorities has been to guarantee the ethical and professional behavior of the Colombian Police,” Police chief General Rodolfo Palomino told El Tiempo newspaper.

Palomino claimed to see his role in parental terms, needing to bring discipline and order to those who choose to be unruly or rebellious.

“With a father’s pain, I will have to apply serious punishments to those driven by the demons of ambition, who have succumbed to the siren song of corruption.”

Palomino stated that the “Transparency Plan” will continue to progress. In the coming days more and more operations will be taken to “catch officers who have decided to walk the illegal path.” These operations will “enable us [the police] to continue walking the roads of legality.”

In a country with a long history of corruption related issues at all levels of authority, Palomino hopes that these operations will reflect well on the national police and not cause citizens to only see the corruption.

“Every time the country has news of policemen punished, demoted or capture, behind it is an unswerving loyalty of the police institution to truth and justice,” he stated, pointing his opinion that this “Transparency Plan” is a a path of no return, until the police are finally free of corruption.

Despite the claimed initial success of the operation, long-term results will be the most telling. This operation comes on the heels of last month’s admission by Palomino that Colombian police were involved in protecting “Marquitos” Figueroa, a Brazilian mafia boss capture last month who’s influence extended into Colombia.